Approximately 2,300 people work at the John Deere Dubuque Works (JDDW) located in Dubuque, Iowa. The plant manufactures industrial equipment, including backhoe loader tractors, crawlers, and diesel engines, for Deere and Company. Managementis strongly committed to safety and has trained employees using the Dupont STOP (Safety Training Observation Program) program to help reduce injuries. JDDW believes that all injuries can be prevented. Improving housekeeping, reporting near misses and concentrating on people's behavior have helped reduce injuries. Safe behavior for employees is almost second nature. It is an accepted part of performing their duties. They keep an eye on each other. This behavior has provided a solid foundation on which to build the ergonomics effort.
Reduce musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk factors on current jobs
Eliminate potential MSD risk factors on new jobs
Improve quality of work life by designing jobs within employees' capabilities
Increase productivity and improve product quality
To accomplish these ergonomics goals, JDDW has reduced injuries by redesigning tooling, methods, and workstations; trained middle management, production engineers, and manufacturing engineers; conducted sophisticated videotape and computer analyses of problem jobs; and continuously trained employees in ergonomics and safe work practices.
John Deere's ergonomics program is based on the 1990 proposed OSHA ergonomics guidelines for industry. (OSHA, 1990) Because it has operated under these guidelines for so many years, most elements are in-place to comply with the 1999 proposed OSHA ergonomics program standard.
JDDW top management has supported the ergonomics effort since its inception. For over fifteen years, it has been reducing the number of MSD injuries at the plant by improving problem jobs and by raising employees. ergonomics awareness. In 1993, JDDW began practicing true participatory ergonomics by organizing wage employees into an ergonomics support team. This team works full-time conducting ergonomics improvements. This push came from the highest level, the plant manager. The factory ergonomics coordinator supervises the team.
Since its beginning in 1985, JDDW factory ergonomics effort has been coordinated by an Industrial Engineer trained in ergonomics. Ergonomics Coordinator duties include:
coordinating factory efforts to reduce MSD injuries;
developing, coordinating, and conducting ergonomics training;
supervising the ergonomics support team in their work on job improvement projects;
chairing the Ergonomics Review Committee;
interviewing injured employees, providing investigation support, and performing job analyses;
conducting employee interviews and job cycle observations;
keeping an open list of prioritized problem jobs; and
identifying success stories and reporting progress to management.
